Canada Blooms is Only 6 Weeks Away

An exclusive peek at Canada Blooms the Flower & Garden Festival

March 16-25 2012
Direct Energy Centre, Toronto

“‘Ethnography’ is an example of a modern garden. A study of a garden that presents itself in the bustling and ever changing city we live in. The world changes around us. Nature and materials – both old and new are combined to present a look at an example of our heritage and renewal. Each visitor will take away something different. Pause, look and listen, while the garden tells its story.“
Find out more about this year’s Feature Garden Builders.

This is one of the true hidden secrets of Canada Blooms. Every morning (except March 19, 20 and 25th) at 8:30 a.m. small groups are led through the gardens on the festival floor. There are no lines, and everything is fresh and quiet. Your tour leaders are Master Gardeners, or horticulturists who have been given all the insider info on the garden designs, their features, and the plants used. Want to know what that unusual purple plant is? Ask your tour leader. Your tour must be booked in advance, and cannot be purchased at the door. Only $40 and this includes admission to both The National Home Show, and Canada Blooms. After your tour, you can head off to our Blooms Market Place for those bulbs you saw in the gardens, and then get a front row seat at one of our educational sessions or workshops presented by the leaders in the Horticulture field. It is the best and only way to experience Canada Blooms, so go to our website and book your Early Morning Tour now before they sell out!
Enter to WIN Two Early Morning Tour Tickets for Sunday, March 18 starting at 8:30 am.
Contest ends February 14th.

Picture of 2011 Garden by Landscapes by Lucin courtesy of Tweaked Solutions.

Floral Carpet
New for 2012, enjoy and admire the Garden Club of Toronto’s dynamic allee of two 24 foot raised beds of floral carpet complemented by 10 foot green ash trees at the ends of each section. The floral carpet will be created with rooted, preserved, dried and fresh cut plant material and flowers in a modern geometric design vivid in varying shades of green, white and blue/purple.

The challenge in creating a carpet is to design the pattern and then to determine how to achieve the desired end effect with plant material that will last for the period of the show. The carpet is created in 2’x4′ pans by members of the Garden Club of Toronto. Some of the Club’s past carpets include: Rotunda of City Hall in Doors Open 2009 celebrating Toronto’s 175 birthday, St. Anne’s Church in 2007 and St James Cathedral.

Find out more about the Garden Hall Competition.

It’s never too early to plan what you’re going to plant in your containers this year. Why not try an all-foliage look–no deadheading to worry about! Choose a dramatic tall ornamental grass or canna lily with striped foliage for the specimen plant and fill in around it with burgundy and lime coleus—many of the newer varieties are sun tolerant (check the plant label). Add a few trailing plants such as golden creeping Jenny or a black sweet potato vine. Make sure you pack in lots of plants for a full, lush look and use a lightweight potting mix. Many of the new plants being introduced this year are foliage stars—hostas, heucheras, grasses and coleus—but there are plenty of new colour developments with the dependable petunias, begonias and impatiens, too.

Garden Making‘s garden at this year’s Canada Blooms will highlight recently developed plants for containers and the home garden. Check out the garden to learn about 15 new plants, along with growing information and observations about what makes them unique and special. Container picture borrowed from Garden Making Website.
Garden design courtesy of Aphrodite Design Group

Enter to WIN a One-Year Subscription to Garden Making Magazine.

Marjorie Harris is one of Canada’s best known and most widely read garden writers. Her new book THRIFTY GARDENING FROM THE GROUND UP will be published in March 2012 . To get more information check out her blog: www.marjorieharris.com.
Don’t Miss Marjorie 3:00 pm on March 16th
on the Gardening Solutions Stage in Salon 105.

Get the full Seminar Schedule.
To find out more about our 2012 speakers click here.

Step back, relax and discover a world of exotic tastes in the Twinings of London® Tea Tasting Area, next to the Pick Ontario Floral Area. No matter what your mood, Twinings has over 40 distinct and mouth watering varieties of tea for you to enjoy. Nine master blenders travel the world seeking only the finest teas, spices, herbs and fruit infusions available, then expertly blend each one using techniques perfected for over 300 years. Whether you’re in the mood for a refreshing Black, soothing Green or flavorful herbal, enjoy every sip while you take in the breathtaking sights of Canada Blooms: the magnificent professional florists, the innovative feature gardens, the Garden Hall floral competition with both domestic and international competitors and so much more. For an added bonus sign up today for Twinings Tea Mails and you could be among 6 lucky people each month to win free Twinings tea for a year (please see contest rules)!

Pick Ontario developed by Flowers Canada (Ontario) is the proud sponsor of the Pick Ontario Featured Area. The freshness and variety of Ontario grown products can be seen in the beautiful displays and arrangements showcased near the Twinings Tea Tasting Area in Hall A. Don’t forget to pick up your bright and fresh Canada Blooms Spring Bouquet

while you browse the creative designs and floral decorating innovations throughout the festival. The bright colours and the delightful smells of freshly grown Ontario flowers make the Pick Ontario Featured Area unforgettable.

Look for Pick Ontario’s stunning flowers presented during the Florist Superstars (Friday March 23 at 2:00pm and Sunday March 25 at 12 noon)and by Albert Graves of Bloemen Decor as he entertains us with “Flower Arranging with Flair” (Friday March 15, Tuesday March 20, Saturday March 24 at 1:00 pm and Wednesday March 21 at 2:00 pm) on The Unilock Celebrity Stage presented by HGTV.

Watch Albert on Youtube.

2 Great Events, 1 Ticket – Wow! Your ticket into Canada Blooms will also admits you into the National Home Show. Below are just some of the exciting highlights from the 60th Anniversary Show presented by Re/Max.

Destination Renovation
Bring your floor plans and questions and meet with GTA’s top contractors and builders at Destination Renovation by BILD.

What’s Your Design Dilemma?
Don’t miss free one-on-one consultations with Interior Designers from IDC at What’s your Design Dilemma presented RENO & Decor Magazine

Stay tuned for more highlights or visit their website for more information

Canada Blooms SPECIAL OFFER

Purchase your Ticket online before February 14th and save $5 off Regular Adult Admission ($3 off Senior/Student rates), use Promo Code: CBNEWS

After February 14th purchase your Canada Blooms Festival Advanced Tickets and save $3 off general admission and senior/student tickets (regular price: Adult $20/ Senior $17 /Student $16 /Children FREE). Tickets are available online, at the shopTBG at the Toronto Botanical Garden and other outlets. Please check back regularly for updates.

Upcoming Events

Our bus tour page has been updated – if you are looking for a bus coming to Canada Blooms in your area? Visit our website.

Booked your hotel yet? Canada Blooms has great hotel partners, including our host hotel The Hyatt Regency Toronto on King.

Remember to keep checking back for more updates.

Don’t Miss Tropical Getaway presented by the Toronto Botanical Garden
While our gardens sleep, Toronto Botanical Garden invites you to join us, Thursday February 16th from 7:30pm to 9:30 pm, downtown at the most beautiful indoor oasis in the city–the Allan Gardens Conservatory. Come experience the delights of the tropics without having to venture too far from home. Chase away the winter blues as you mingle and mix with other plant lovers. Join TBG’s Director of Horticulture, Paul Zammit, and a plant expert from Allan Gardens as they guide you through this historic paradise. Enjoy tropical treats and other light refreshments. As a special part of the evening, Sonia Day, renowned Toronto writer (www.soniaday.com), will share some lusty secrets from her seventh book, The Untamed Garden – A Revealing Look at Our Love Affair With Plants. Please note:members of the Southern Ontario Orchid Society and the Toronto Cactus & Succulent Club will also receive the members rate

Tropical Getaway [PG12WTG], Thursday, February 16th, 2012, 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Allan Gardens

Here are some other great courses at Toronto Botanical Garden.

Floral Arrangement Photography
Want to take professional studio quality photos of your floral arrangements to share with family and friends? Learn how to use artificial light and flash to create gorgeous images of your floral arrangements.Prerequisite: Foundations course or comfortable working knowledge of your camera.
[PG12W14] Mark Trusz, Wednesday, February 15, 1 pm to 5 pm

Owl Prowl

Do you give a hoot about owls? Join Jon Hayes of the High Park Nature Centre to prowl for owls on the TBG grounds. Learn fascinating owl facts, dissect an owl pellet and head outside
to listen for owls while exploring their habitat. Please dress for the outdoors.
[PG12W15] Jon Hayes, Wednesday, February 15, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
REGISTER ONLINE HERE OR BY PHONE: 416-397-1341

If you have an upcoming garden related event that is of interest to our readers let us know at info@canadablooms.com and we might include it in upcoming issues of our newsletter.

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